It’s a day that ends in ‘y’, which means more chaos for the beleaguered SNP. Now it transpires that Scotland’s Crown Office has finally received Peter Murrell’s charge sheet – after he was charged with embezzlement from the SNP over a month ago.
The husband of former SNP leader and first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon was taken into police custody for the second time on 18 April as part of the police probe into SNP finances. Shortly after the police force announced that it had charged the former SNP chief, it emerged that Murrell had also resigned his party membership. His wife, Nicola Sturgeon, and the SNP’s former treasurer Colin Beattie were also arrested last year in connection with the investigation into a ‘missing’ sum of £600,000 supposedly ring-fenced for IndyRef2 campaigning and both remain under investigation.
The Crown Office told Mr S today that:
A standard prosecution report has been received by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service from Police Scotland in relation to a 59-year-old man and incidents said to have occurred between 2016 and 2023. Connected investigations of two other individuals, a man aged 72 and a 53-year-old woman, remain ongoing.
Professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel will review this report. They will make decisions on the next steps without involving the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General. All Scotland’s prosecutors operate independently of political influence. Before deciding what action to take, if any, in the public interest, prosecutors will consider if there is enough evidence. There must be evidence from at least two separate sources to establish that a crime was committed and that the person under investigation was the perpetrator.
This evaluation will involve a thorough examination of the numerous witness statements and extensive evidence collected by police. Prosecutors may instruct the police to conduct further investigations before taking a decision.
Stay tuned…
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